Isaac e



l. E. PALMER;

Machins'tor Stretching and Spreading Cloth.

W'zarsaf Y UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcEa ISAAC E. PALMER, OF HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY.

IM'PROVEMNT IN MACHINES FOR STRETCHING -AND SPREADING CLOTH.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,943, dated January 27, 187A; application tiled March 24, 1873.

CAsE A.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC E. PALMER, of Hackensack, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Stretching and Spreading Cloth and other Fabrics, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to a combination or lsystem of endless traveling belts or cords, op-

part of this specification, Figure l represents a plan of a cloth stretching', spreading, and dressing apparatus having my invention applied; Fig. 2, a vertical section ofthe same on the line x fr; and Fig. 3, a section, in part, on the line y y.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding' parts.

A B represent endless cords or belts, arranged transversely to the feed of the fabric C, which passes over a beam or roller, b, between said cords or belts, or over one set and under the other, and from thence over a roller, c, to the drying cylinder D, or otherwise. The endless cords or belts A B, of which there may be any suitable number, extending from opposite sides toward the center of the inachine, and traveling so as to rub or draw upon both surfaces of the fabric away from its center, are carried, by outer and inner pulleys e c and ff', the pulleys e c being driven by gears g h and i k, from the drying-cylinder D, or otherwise. rIhe inner pulleys f of the upper belts A, and the inner pulleys f' of the lower belts B, are arranged so that they and their vbelts or cords exert a detlecting action on the fabric as the latter passes through between them, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and whereby the fabric is stretched in direction of its feed as well as transversely, or, in other words, (that is, when the fabric is a woven one,) has its warp and weft simultaneously stretched, extreme draft or pull taking place in or from the center of the piece, where it presents greater resistance than at the selvages.

rlhe several pulleys j" may be arranged loosely upon the same, or a central shaft and theupper pulleys f be disposed to project one beyond the other in a lateral direction, which will do away with any sagging of the fabric in between the pulleys; or friction-strips, connecting respectively the pulleys f j' and f j", may be used for the same purpose.

The pressure or action on the fabric of the bands or belts A B, and ot' the inner pulleys over which theyrun, is made automatically adjustable and yielding, by suspending the inner pulleys j' of the belts A in hangers E E, having their centers of motion in line with the axes of the pulleys c e. This also provides for the hereinbefore-described detlecting ac tion of the belts and their inner pulleys on the fabric.

The friction stretching belts or cords A B may be made of any suitable material, and either bev ilat, round, or of any desired shape, and either be plain upon their surfaces, or be provided with projections thereon.

XVhat is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

The arrangement, essentially as herein shown and described, of upper and lower frietion stretching belts or cords A B, arranged to extend from opposite sides of the machine, for travel over or against the fabric, and, in concert with their inner pulleys ff', serving to deflect the fabric as it passes in between them, all as specified.

ISAAC E. PALMER.

Witnesses MICHAEL RYAN, FEED. HAYNEs. 

